Academy Sports plans new distribution center to support expansion

Katy, Texas – Academy Ltd., parent company of the Academy Sports + Outdoors chain, will open a 1.6.-million-plus-sq.-ft. distribution center on a 200-plus-acre site in Cookeville, Tennessee to support its continued expansion. The retailer will begin construction on the facility later in August 2014 with plans to become operational in early 2016.

"The new distribution center will support the long-term growth and continued expansion of Academy Sports + Outdoors while enabling us to provide our customers with quicker access to their favorite sports, outdoors and lifestyle products for the entire family," said Rodney Faldyn, CEO and president.

The company is expected to hire approximately 700 associates during a five-year period with initial hiring to begin in fall 2015. This will be the company's third distribution center, joining centers in Katy, Texas, and Jeffersonville, Georgia.

The addition new DC will provide the company added capacity to better serve stores in its existing 13 state trade area while supporting northern expansion into contiguous markets such as Kentucky, Virginia, Illinois and beyond.

Solutions Spotlight

Retailers need to offer more options to deliver merchandise faster — especially if they want to compete with the narrow delivery windows that Amazon and other nimble online players continue to offer. Download this white paper from Chain Store Age and IBM to learn four ways to Improve fulfillment, increase efficiency—and drive sales.